1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to electrode materials, and more particularly, to electrode materials having fluoridated surfaces which increase the electrochemical performance of the electrode and associated electrolytic cell. The invention is also directed to a process for fabricating fluoridated electrode materials for use in an electrolytic cell.
2. Background Art
Lithium ion batteries have been known in the art for several years. Moreover, lithium ion batteries having electrodes which utilize conventional untreated lithium transition metal oxides, such as LiCoO.sub.2, LiNiO.sub.2, and LiMn.sub.2 O.sub.4 are likewise well known. While such batteries have been readily utilized in the industry, they remain marginally adequate for commercial use by today's standards. In particular, electrodes utilizing conventional lithium transitions metal oxides exhibit reasonable stability and capacity at relatively low charge/discharge rates. However, at higher charge/discharge rates batteries utilizing such conventional electrode materials suffer from capacity loss and/or material degradation. As such, the prior art is replete with references which are directed towards maximizing the capacity and stability of lithium ion batteries at elevated charge/discharge rates.
Nevertheless, the prior art is void of any disclosure relative to using an organic precursor to inorganically fluoridate electrode active materials, to in turn, increase the electrochemical performance of an associated electrolytic cell.